After watching the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong I’m sorry to report that this film has issues. All of the glowing four star critical reviews I had read online about the movie should have been a clue as I rarely align with the critics. That, and the “flag planting” omission controversy that immediately followed the film’s release just seemed to place a dark cloud over the movie. I was able to get past that with ease but after having read the book and seeing Neil interviewed many times I just feel that Ryan Gosling totally missed capturing the nature and personality of the man.
I get what the actor was attempting to do and it was a gallant try but fell short and left me feeling depressed and sorry for Neil and his family. In an effort to show Neil as a man of few words, which he was, the viewer is instead left with a character who is deeply depressed, and hard pressed to show any emotion at all. The attempt was to make him seem strong and focused (which he was) but that is not what I took from the screen. I don’t think it’s a fair assessment or representation of the man. Yes, he was deeply affected by the death of his infant daughter Karen but that over shadows the entire film leaving the viewer’s impression of Neil empty, distant and dry.
It’s like deja’ vu all over again! Last year there was a total lunar eclipse that occurred on January 31, 2018. That TLE was sure fun to watch and photograph. What made it enjoyable was the eclipse took place as the Moon was setting and made for some good images with the landmarks and the horizon. In fact, the moon was actually eclipsed as dawn was coming on, and it was setting at the same time. There was a lot happening. This total lunar eclipse, which occurred less than a year later was much higher in the sky. The weather was not perfect. It was cold with high thin clouds and periods of thicker cloudiness initially but as the night and eclipse wore on the sky did clear out nicely.
Posted below are images I shot of the January 20, 2019 total lunar eclipse or if you prefer the “media hyped” naming convention then it would be the “super blood wolf moon – total lunar eclipse.” Super because this full moon occurred near perigee which is when the moon is a fraction closer to Earth. Blood because total lunar eclipses take on a reddish/orange hue due to light refracting through the Earth’s atmosphere which sucks out the blue light waves and lets the red ones run free to bath the moon in blood. Finally, the January full moon is commonly called the “wolf” moon. Had this eclipse occurred in March when the full moon is known as the “worm moon,” they would have been calling it the “super blood worm moon,” or in August, the sturgeon moon. You get the idea.
Current amateur astronomy information such as points of interest and events in the night sky, star party dates, educational information, telescopes buying tips and much more.
